US embassy cable - 05VIENNA288

UNCLAS VIENNA 000288 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA, EUR/AGS and EUR/ERA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, IZ, AU 
SUBJECT:  IRAQ ELECTIONS: AUSTRIANS MAKE POSITIVE 
STATEMENT 
 
REF:  VIENNA 262 
 
1.  Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik issued a 
positive statement on January 31 on the Iraq elections 
(para. 3 below).  Plassnik highlighted the "courage" and 
"will to democracy and peace" of the Iraqis, in defiance 
of terrorist attacks. 
 
2.  Following our meeting with MFA Middle East Director 
Ralph Scheide on January 28 (reftel), EconPol Couns and 
Pol Unit Chief met with Foreign Ministry Spokesperson 
Astrid Harz on January 31.  Harz said Plassnik's 
statement would appear in both German and English on the 
MFA web site. 
 
3.  Begin Statement: 
 
Foreign Minister Plassnik: "Elections in Iraq an 
important step in the political renewal process" 
 
Stabilization of the security situation remains number 
one priority 
 
Future Iraqi constitution should take adequate account of 
the needs of all ethnic and religious groups 
 
"The elections in Iraq have demonstrated the Iraqi 
citizens' resolve for self-determination," said Minister 
for Foreign Affairs Ursula Plassnik in an initial 
reaction to Iraq's first multi-party elections following 
the decades-long dictatorship of Saddam Hussein.  "The 
Iraqi people refused to let the terrorists' threats and 
attempts at intimidation prevent them from exercising 
their right to vote," stressed the Foreign Minister, 
"which is a sign of their courage and absolute will to 
democracy and peace". 
 
Plassnik expressed her regret that on election day too 
there had been terror attacks in Iraq that had claimed 
over 40 human lives.  There were still forces at large 
that were working against the Iraqi people and their self- 
determination, said the Foreign Minister.  The fact that 
the overwhelming majority of Iraq's Sunni Muslims had 
stayed away from the polling stations was a cause for 
concern, as it showed that Iraqi society is still 
"dangerously divided." 
 
The newly elected transitional assembly and the future 
Iraqi government would therefore not only have to strive 
to establish greater security and bring about the 
consolidation of the political process; the assembly - 
according to Plassnik - "will have to draft a 
constitution that takes adequate account of the needs of 
all ethnic and religious groups in Iraq and thus 
contributes to the internal solidarity of the country." 
 
Plassnik emphasized that the European Union had supported 
the political renewal process in Iraq, including the 
preparations for yesterday's elections, from the very 
outset.  "Europe should continue to advocate a unified, 
stable and prospering Iraq in a peaceful environment. 
However, the stabilization of the security situation must 
remain the number one priority.  That is the prime 
prerequisite for the successful implementation of the 
EU's assistance measures. 
 
Austria is supporting the consolidation process within 
the country by providing training for Iraqi police 
officers and diplomats.  A special training course for 
this purpose will begin in the next few days. 
 
End statement. 
 
Brown